Thursday, April 30, 2015

Therefore everyone who
hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who
built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the
winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its
foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not
put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The
rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that
house, and it fell with a great crash. Matthew 7:24-27

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Not everyone who says
to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who
does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons
and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I
never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

I began ministry around the fall of the great televangelists in
the late 80’s. Personally, I believe in the separation of church and
television, but I know that God has used TV to influence many lives.

What I saw from these TV preachers was a great dichotomy in their
lives. Their public, televised lives were flawless. They advocated lofty
truths. They had great expectations of financial acknowledgement for their
teaching. And, supposed we would be richly blessed in return. (I never gave, so
I’ll never know – but I have my suspicions). Their private lives, however, were
much worse than any of their God-fearing followers.

These were Christian celebrities who adopted a celebrity
lifestyle. Did they deserve more than the local pastor who actually cares about
you?

The deception came when these televangelists saw results in their
ministries despite the fact that there was so much rot in their lives. Was God
overlooking their bad behavior because they did so much good?

Now, I’m not going to judge whether these TV preachers are
actually saved or not. Only God has the ability to determine that. The big
question here is for you and me – are we sure that God has saved us?

We can give our time, talent and treasure to God and yet, if we
haven’t given Him our lives, then He will say, “I never knew you.” We could
encourage others and do a lot of good works, but unless our names are written
in the book (Daniel
12:1; Revelation
3:5), we’re not in. There are a lot of well-meaning churchgoers who
are actually far from God, yet they think they’re close.

Salvation is more than getting goose bumps over doing good works.
You can get a TV show and do that. If you are saved, then God is first in your
life. If you do good things, even if God answers your prayers, unless you’ve
committed your heart and life to Jesus Christ (Romans
10:8-10), you’re not saved.

Doing good can be a God-thing, but doing good can also become a
god. When we depend on other’s approval at what a great job we’re doing serving
others, then ministry has become idolatry. Serving the church should never come
ahead of serving God.

Where is your heart today? Do you believe that God cares more
about you than what you can do for Him? God desires a relationship with you. He
doesn’t really need your help. While your relationship with God will lead to
God using you to help others, being used is not necessarily a sign of
salvation. As one pastor put it, “Jesus plus nothing equals freedom.”

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Likewise, every good
tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear
bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will
recognize them. Matthew 7:17-20

What is your intention for your relationship with God?

Have you ever thought about that before? What do you intend to do
with God? If your intention is to avoid Hell, then you just say the sinner’s
prayer, and you have your “fire insurance.” But, if you have no desire to live
for God, then how do you know that you’re saved?

If your intention is to fit in, then you might attend church every
week and work hard at appearing to be okay. But, sitting in a church doesn’t
make you a Christian any more than sitting in a barn makes you a cow.

If your intention is to experience abundant life and bear
spiritual fruit, then how is that going? What are you doing daily to make this
happen? What are you avoiding daily that might keep this from happening?

If you want an abundance of fruit in an orchard, you have to
create the right conditions. Does the soil have the right minerals? Is there adequate
water and appropriate sunlight? Is there any hint of disease or pests? What
about weed control?

If your spiritual life is a weedy, untended garden, then the good
fruit you are capable of producing can’t grow. The richness of the soil is
wasted on plants that produce nothing of value.

There are many beautiful plants in creation that produce nothing.
Sycamore trees give plenty of shade, and crepe myrtles produce beautiful
flowers, but there is no edible fruit on either.

Here’s the test: if you think you’re a good tree, but your life is
bearing bad fruit, then guess what? You’re a bad tree. If your life produces
good fruit, then you are a good tree – not a perfect tree – but a good one.

What if your life produces both? According to Jesus’ analogy, there’s
no room for that. Either your fruit is bad or good. Does a little bit of bad
fruit make everything bad? Or does a little bit of good fruit justify
everything else?

For people, and not plants, there are healthy parts of us and
diseased parts of us. God has given us everything we need to heal the diseased
parts of us. He offers forgiveness for our sins. He extends grace. God has
given us other believers to encourage us and to help bear our burdens. The
question is – what part of our nature do we intend to grow?

What is your intention when it comes to your relationship with
God? What are you doing daily to move forward?

Monday, April 27, 2015

Watch out for false
prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious
wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from
thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:15-16

A wolf in sheep’s clothing is an analogy that goes back to Jesus.
People are compared to sheep. The assumption is that sheep would help each
other. Sheep are on an equal playing field. They want what’s good for the herd.
A wolf has different motives.

Wolves see only one purpose for sheep – lamb chops. Wolves don’t
wish to befriend sheep. They

aren’t looking for play dates or theological
debates. Wolves have one idea when it comes to sheep, and it makes them
salivate.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing implies deception. These false leaders
appear to be regular people. They put their pants on just like everyone else.
Yet, they are not there to befriend others or schedule a play date. False
leaders manipulate and take advantage of their people. They twist things around
to get the upper hand.

The deception is a tricky one. Some false leaders have absolutely
no morals and wouldn’t think twice about ripping off their own mothers. They
come in selling their bill of goods and take off with what they want – leaving
others to wonder what happened.

Some leaders are self-deceived. They are convinced that they are
better than who they really are. This comes from insecurity. They project a
larger than life image that they come to actually believe themselves. The sad
part is that God has never asked anyone to pretend to be more than who they
are. God intends to live His life through us – that’s the part that’s larger
than life.

Every one of us is blind to certain parts of our lives. This is why
it’s important to surround ourselves with people who will tell us the truth.
It’s dangerous for all of us to listen only to people who say what we want to
hear. It takes courage to face the truth. But, we all need those folks in our
lives who love us, but aren’t impress with us, and will tell us what’s what.

How do we know if a leader is true or false? Jesus says that we
know by their fruit. Just like grapes don’t grow on thornbushes and figs don’t
grow on thistles, the fruit of a good leader doesn’t come at the expense of
others.

Please don’t get me wrong. No leader is perfect. In 20 years of
ministry, I have made my fair share of mistakes. I have hurt a few people along
the way, and I have made apologies.

What about you? What kind of leader are you? You might be
thinking, “I’m not a leader.” If you have ever influenced another person to try
a new restaurant or avoid a bad movie, then you are a leader.

What kind of leader are you? Are you pretending to be something
that you’re not? You don’t have to. God has given you a purpose and will make
you adequate to fulfill it. There is no reason to bulldoze over anyone along
the way.

Maybe you’re a good leader, but you have never shown others why
you do what you do. If you care about other people, yet you never show them,
then how will they know your motives? As the old saying goes, “People don’t
care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

While we should all be careful to follow trustworthy leaders, we
also need to examine ourselves for trustworthiness. What kind of fruit are our
lives bearing? What is it growing out of? We don’t need to take advantage of others
to do God’s will. Whatever we lack, God will supply.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Enter through the
narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the
road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

Have you ever sat through a seminar where the speaker promised a
surefire way to get rich quick? I’m always waiting for the punchline to be: If
you want to get rich like me, then sell tickets to yourown seminar. After
all, if their methods worked so well, why are they being so generous with their
information?

Shortcuts usually come up short. We do learn our lesson – don’t
give 50 bucks to any fast talking stranger who blows through town. See, this
devotional has already made you $50 richer.

The wide gate gives plenty of elbow room. You go with the crowd
and go with the flow. But, if the whole crowd took a shortcut to being rich,
then who would be rich? Everybody would have the same. If the whole crowd gave
the least of themselves to gain spiritual assurance, then no wonder so many
flounder in spiritual mediocrity.

But, the narrow gate – it’s a bottle neck. It’s inconvenient. It
requires sacrifice. It makes us uncomfortable. But, it also leads to Heaven.
The wide gate, according to Jesus, leads to the other place.

Many of us spent much of our teenage years trying to be unique by
blending in with the crowd. We fought our parents over expressing our
individuality by dressing exactly like our peers. Our concern wasn’t creativity,
but conformity. Only the freaks and geeks stood out. No one wanted to sit at
that table.

How much has the world squeezed us into its mold? Many people want
to be religious enough for a good reputation, but not so religious to stand
out. Now, we all know a few people who are “over-saved.” These are the folks
who make every statement into a spiritual analogy. “Boy, I saved a lot at the
mall.” “Well, Jesus saves us completely.” You get the picture.

The wide gate caters to Christian consumers who need to be
entertained to stay interested in church. Let’s be honest. If someone has to
put on a show in order for you to follow Christ, what is this getting you? If
you want a show, stay home and watch TV.

The narrow way is radical. It dangerously sets you apart from the
crowd. The narrow way will take you to places where you never imagined yourself
going. The narrow way is risky. The wide gate is safe, well, until you reach
the end.

How are you playing it safe in your relationship with God? Is He
your spiritual blankey or binky when you have trouble? Or is God the director
of your life?

As Francis Chan puts it, “You have a choice each day to depend on
yourself, to live safely, and to try to control your life.

“Or you can live as you were created to live – as a temple of the
Holy Spirit of God, as a person dependent on Him, desperate for God the Spirit
to show up and make a difference.

When you begin living a life characterized by walking with the
Spirit, that is when people will begin to look not to you but to our Father in
heaven and give Him the praise” (from The Forgotten God, page 156.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Not many of us are farmers any more. In fact, when my father, who
was raised on a farm, took an agriculture class in high school, the teacher
taught them about landscaping their yards. This would be more practical than
learning to farm for most of his students.

We left the agrarian age long ago. We are now in the information
age. If we get hungry, I suppose we can eat our words. But, what we lack in our
understanding of horticulture, we can make up for in our understanding of
sowing and reaping.

Paul’s audience knew the reference well. If you were generous in
scattering seed, you would receive a generous harvest. If you were stingy with
your seed, your harvest would not be as plentiful. This principle was true
regardless of drought, pestilence or other circumstances beyond the farmer’s
control. After all, it rains on both the generous and the stingy. The end
result fully depends on what you have invested.

So, let’s examine our crops. What areas of our lives are
overflowing with abundance? Where are we scraping the bottom of the barrel? If
we have rich friendships, then we have probably sown abundantly in developing
those relationships. If our marriages are hanging by a thread, then guess what?
If God is blessing us and we enjoy an overall sense of well-being, then we have
sown well in our relationship with God.

Now, any relationship with another person is never a hundred
percent on our side. Many of us have loved and lost over the years. It’s not
all up to us. But, the same is true for everyone, yet some people have an
abundance of great friends, while others seem to have none. Those who are
generous with their time, their attention, their resources, and themselves
develop great relationships.

While we don’t give just to get, if we don’t give, then we
shouldn’t expect much in return. Whether we’re sharing our ideas, skills,
resources or ourselves, the generous reap abundantly. Hoarders are limited to
what they have.

What do you have that would greatly benefit another? How can you
help others? What great idea are you sitting on that with the right partner
could be a great success? What are you waiting for?

Those who go through life with a clinched fist, keep what’s
theirs, but struggle to hang onto it. Those who approach life with an open
hand, enrich the lives of others and live abundant lives.

Where do you need to invest? In your spouse and your children? In
an idea or an opportunity? In a friend or a potential friend? Your harvest depends
on what you’re willing to sow.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Serve wholeheartedly,
as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord
will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
Ephesians 6:7-8

I took my son with me to Stop-A-Minit the other day. I was
desperate for a Coke. He needed a treat – an Icee in this case. We also picked
up a treat for his big brother.

As we waited in line to check out, the cashier’s attitude caught
my attention. She truly enjoyed her work. You could tell that she loved serving
other people. She wasn’t being fake friendly. She truly loved what she was
doing.

I thought, “Gosh, I couldn’t work a minimum wage job, standing on
my feet all day, and keep such a great attitude. I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t
be my attitude in that job.” But, this gal served wholeheartedly. I left
thinking, “Gosh, if you’re going to work a job like that, then why not make the
best of it and give it what you’ve got.”

Most of us have experienced half-hearted service. Whether it was
the restaurant server who filled our glasses when they got around to it or
“Peggy” from the credit card company, half-hearted service is not a positive
experience for anyone, including the server.

But, what if you work for a terrible boss? What if they don’t pay
you enough? What if your co-workers are obnoxious? What if your work
environment is not very pleasant? Do circumstances like that deserve our
wholehearted service? Yes, they do.

Ultimately, our “boss” is God Himself. He deserves our best. God
provides for all of our needs regardless of the size of our paychecks. God
loves everyone of our co-workers and wants to use our lives to influence them.

Half-hearted or mediocre service is a poor reflection on God’s
children. We make excuses like “if I worked with more Christians, then things
would be better…” Don’t count on that either.

You may not be able to control anything around you. The culture
and environment of your workplace may be well beyond your influence. You might
be overwhelmed with frustration every day. After you’ve answered the question:
Why are you working there? The next step is to be obedient to God.

Regardless of how you feel about things, no matter what other
people are saying or doing, regardless of the difficulty of your circumstances,
your job is to be obedient to God. If you don’t know how, then plead your case
to God and ask Him how you’re supposed to do it. He will show you.

What is hard for you to accept about your circumstance? Where are
you tempted to cut corners? Why do you feel that the situation deserves less
than your best?

You and I perform for an audience of One, God Himself. No other
opinion matters more than what God thinks of us.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Let no debt remain
outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others
has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You
shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever
other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your
neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the
fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:8-10

Some of us have lived under the tyranny of a religion that said,
“Don’t do this. Don’t do that. Don’t even think about doing that other thing.”
Don’t. Don’t. Don’t. Dah, dah, dah. See it doesn’t work.

As Maxwell Maltz puts it, “Glance at negatives, but focus on
positives.” If I love another person, then, guess what? I’m not going to envy
them or steal their spouse or hate them. We don’t do things like that to people
that we love.

Rather than trying hard to abstain, we must fill the void with
something positive. Over-focusing on avoiding negatives, leaves us constantly
thinking about negatives. Nothing positive can come out of that. It’s sort of
like being on a diet and thinking about all of the things you can’t eat. Not a
lot of weight loss going on there.

The Law and legalism can bog us down. What am I supposed to watch?
What can I say? What can I not say? How much am I supposed to give? Do I tithe
off of the gross or the net? If I can get away with it, is it okay?

The fulfillment of the law is a four letter word – L-O-V-E. What
am I supposed to watch? Answer: Love. What does someone else want to watch?
Maybe we should just turn the thing off and spend time with someone we love.

What should I say or not say? Answer: Love. How can I show this
person that I love them by what I say or what I don’t say? Love doesn’t insult.
But, we are also to speak the truth in love (Ephesians
4:15). Am I holding back on something that I need to say because I
want to avoid a negative reaction? Am I holding back on the last 10 percent of
positive feedback I should give someone? How can I love this person with my
words?

You get the picture. The question is not “What is the right thing
to do?” The question we should be asking is “What is the loving thing to do?”

If I truly care about the other person, what should I do for them?
If I don’t care about the person, then why should I feel that I’m right with
God? You might object and say, “But, you don’t know what they did to me? You
don’t know what they said about me?”

Look at what we did to God. At some point, we were (or are) God’s
enemy (James 4:4). We sinned against God. We violated His character. We disobeyed.
We failed. Yet, how does God respond to us? God responds with love and
forgiveness and the desire to reconcile with us.

If God can get passed all of that with us, then what is keeping us
from forgiving others? What is blocking our ability to truly love them? If you
lack what it takes, ask God to help you love them.

Monday, April 20, 2015

So in everything, do
to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the
Prophets. Matthew 7:12

When I was a kid, I belonged to a scouting group called the Royal
Rangers. It was a church group. Boy Scouts were far too worldly for us. (For
the record, my son is a Cub Scout. No hate mail, please).

At the beginning of each Royal Ranger meeting, we recited the
pledge: “I will do my best to serve God, my church and my fellow man. To live
by the Ranger code, and to make the Golden Rule, my daily rule.” Then, we would
go outside and play kickball in the church parking lot.

In case you didn’t know, Matthew 7:12 is the Golden Rule – “Do to
others what you would have them do to you.” Wouldn’t our world be a better
place if everyone would follow the Golden Rule?

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Yes, my world would be a better
place if people treated me right.” But, here’s the thing – making the world a
better place starts with you. You and I can’t change anyone else. I hope you
weren’t counting on that.

I was watching an episode of Pawn
Stars a while back. A woman came in with a bejeweled spider brooch. It had
been passed down to her by family. She thought it was ugly and maybe she could
get a little money out of it.

After examining the piece, the dealer asked her what she wanted
for it. She said she wanted $2000. The dealer looked her in the eye and said,
“This is a rare Faberge’ piece. I’m an honest man, and in good conscience, I
will offer you $15,000 for the piece.” Rather than bursting into a fit of
excessive jubilation, the women countered with $17,000. Seriously?

The woman left the shop with $15,000 and was happy about it. The
dealer could have easily made an extra $13,000 from that one deal, and the
customer would have had exactly what she asked for. But, the dealer treated his
customer the way he wanted others to treat him.

Now, while we need to remind our children of the Golden Rule,
everyone else is off limits. We should “tell” them the Golden Rule by our good
example. If someone saw us drop $20, we would want them to return it. So,
return it.

If others were talking behind our backs, we would want someone to
speak up for us. So, speak up about others. If we long for someone to encourage
us, then we should encourage others.

You get the idea. Your world would be a different place if you
thought of others the way that you think about yourself. How can you apply the
Golden Rule in your home, your workplace, your traffic or your break room
today?

Sunday, April 19, 2015

When
you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may
spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:3

Imagine going to a car
show. Your eyes fall on a new car model that you’ve never seen. Your heart
races. Your palms begin to sweat. It’s the car of your dreams.

The lines are clean. The
interior has a ridiculous number of cup holders. The engine is powerful, yet
efficient. The price is a little out of your range, but you’ve got to have this
car.

As you leave the car show,
you begin to see your dream car everywhere. Why have you never noticed it
before? Everywhere you drive. Everywhere you park. There it is. The car seems
to be beaconing to you.

You sit down to figure out
your finances. It doesn’t seem that you could afford the payment even if you
leased the car. You think about selling your house. You think about downsizing
to one car – one dream car. Then, you imagine your kids in the dream car – what
a nightmare.

You pray and ask God to
provide a raise at work, help you win the lottery, or find a long lost uncle
you never knew you had. But, nothing happens. You continue to cruise the town
in your 12-year-old car and try to avoid looking at your dream car when it
passes by.

One day you pick up the
newspaper. Your dream car is on the front page. You think “Is God just trying
to torture me?” The headline reads “New Car Model Recalled for Catastrophic
Defect: Many Deaths from Poor Design.” You breathe a sigh of relief. Thank God
that you didn’t get that death trap. Did God answer your prayer?

One test of unanswered
prayer is to check our motives. That’s not to say that every unanswered prayer
comes from wrong motives. When my son continued to get sicker in the hospital
even though we prayed fervently, we weren’t praying with wrong motives. But,
some prayers fit exactly what this verse is talking about.

If God knew that answering
our prayer would be harmful to us, why would He say “Yes”? Just like our
children asking for too many sweets, God knows what’s good for us and what will
make us sick.

Now, sometimes we’re not
sure why God hasn’t answered our prayer. If our motives seem okay, then why
haven’t we heard an answer? Remember that God answers in one of three ways:
Yes, No and Wait.

What answer are you waiting
for? Why are you asking? Sometimes your motives can block an answer to prayer.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may
be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do
it.

John 14:13-14

For anybody who has actually ever prayed, this verse might seem a
little far-fetched. We asked, but Jesus didn’t do it. What went wrong?

We believe that Jesus’ words are true. We just haven’t always
found them to be true for us. So, we either just ignore passages like this, or
we live in the frustration of believing that we’ve done something wrong.

The key to understanding this passage are these three words: “in
my name.” Eugene Peterson in The Messageputs it this way, “whatever you request along the lines of who I
am and what I am doing, I'll do it” (John
14:13). Jesus will do anything that agrees with Who He is and What He
is doing. If we ask anything outside of that, Jesus will not do it.

Who is Jesus? He is the Savior of the world. Jesus came to serve
rather than to be served. His only ambition is to fulfill the will of the
Father (John 5:19). Jesus is humble beyond comparison (Philippians
2:5-11).

If we ask for things in keeping with developing and affirming
Christ’s character, then the answer is more likely “Yes.” If our prayers involve
our quest for fulfillment with power, possessions or prestige, then the answer
is usually “No.” Why would Jesus do something for us that would only make us
more prideful? That’s not in keeping with His character.

What is Jesus doing? Good question. He came to seek and save the
lost (Luke
19:10). Jesus came to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew
20:28). His desire is to reconcile sinful people with His Father (2
Corinthians 5:18).

Sometimes we get into the trap of asking God to bless what we’re
doing. This is more like a child demanding to get his way. Every good idea is
not a God idea. Our frustration comes when our will is not aligned with God’s
will. “But, doesn’t God want me to be happy?” That’s not necessarily on the top
of His list.

What we learned from Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God is that God is always at work around us. God wants to involve us
in what He is already doing. How is God working around us? Well, if we can’t
see His work, then we should ask Him. Pay attention to the things that are
bearing fruit in our lives.

What do you need Jesus to do in your life? Does it line up with
Jesus’ character and His mission? Everything in our lives is important to God.
Prayer is not just accessing the “God compartment” when the other compartments
of our lives are failing.

Over 2000 years ago, Jesus came to start a revolution in the
hearts of people. He came to wipe away their sins and to put them on-mission to
build His Kingdom. Jesus won’t waste His time or ours answering prayers that
lead us away from our God-given mission on this earth. What has God put you
here to do? If you’re not sure, ask God and He will point the way.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they
should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a
judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a
widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice
against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused.
But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what
people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she
gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will
not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and
night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get
justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
the earth?”

Luke 18:1-8

I can honestly say that I pray every day. I can also honestly say
that I am far more motivated to pray in times of crisis than in times of calm.
When the pressure’s on, I tend to run to God quite a bit faster.

Jesus gave us this parable about the persistent widow seeking
justice from an ungodly judge. Most of us don’t have an issue with asking. But,
sometimes asking over and over begins to feel like begging and pleading and
sometimes outright nagging. Is that what God wants from us? Is He making us beg
for what we need?

The Bible tells us that God knows what we need before we even ask
(Matthew
6:8). He doesn’t want us to beg, but He does want us to persevere.

Think about it this way – what if you stopped working out every
time it hurt? What if you slowed down every time you felt uncomfortable in your
workout? What would that get you? Probably back on the couch. No pain, no gain,
right?

God wants you and I to make it to the end. In order to get there,
He needs to build our persistence muscles. If God positively answered our
prayers the first time we asked, He would become more of a vending machine than
Our Lord.

Take this in – God knows what is best for us. God wants good
things for us. Sometimes we don’t recognize what those good things are
immediately, but we will know eventually. And, of course, our home in Heaven is
our ultimate goal.

What are you about to give up on? Does God want you to quit?
Sometimes God wants us to leave something. More often God wants us to stay and
work it out. How do you need God to help you to stay?

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Which of you, if your
son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give
him

a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to
those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11

My sons are at an age where both stones and snakes would have
great appeal, but they wouldn’t be interested in eating either one. Most
parents know how to give good things to their kids. If your house is anything
like mine, there is no lack of stuff. We give our kids what they need, and we
give them some of the things they want.

God is our Heavenly Father. For some, that’s a little hard to
take. If our Heavenly Father is anything like their earthly father, there’s a
big problem. (Read
about the link here).

God created us along with everything else that exists. God gave
each of us a unique purpose for our time here on this earth. God also gave us
the gifts and abilities to fulfill that purpose.

God wants our lives to be successful. That may or may not involve
monetary success, but if you’re reaching this devotional from a computer over
an internet connection or on your mobile phone in a climate controlled
environment, you’re pretty rich compared to the rest of the world.

God desires for you and me to become like His son, Jesus Christ (Romans
8:29). Jesus is sinless, so God erases our sins (Colossians
1:13-14). Jesus has great character, so God uses the bumps and bruises of
our lives to develop godly character (Romans
5:3-4). Jesus was put on this earth to serve others. God wants the same
of us, because only in serving are we truly satisfied.

Some are deluded into thinking that following God involves God
taking away rather than giving. “God doesn’t want me to have any fun.” That’s
simply not true. God delights in us. God gave us an entire world to enjoy. He
desires for us to experience abundant life. Joy is a byproduct of our
connection to Him.

God knows how to give good gifts to you. Are you willing to
receive them? Are you willing to forsake the ways of the world and follow His
ways? Are you willing to admit that God knows better than you?

Monday, April 13, 2015

Ask and it will be
given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who
knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

Once a year, my children disguise themselves, walk up to neighbors’
houses, and receive vast

amounts of candy. Yes, our family participates in this
Halloween ritual. It’s a great way to get to know our neighbors and to get free
candy.

Most of us have done the same thing. The candy does not come
automatically. There is a bit of a formula involved. (1) Dress up. (2) Knock on
the door. (3) Say, “Trick or Treat.” (4) Collect candy. If you skip step 2,
then you will find yourself all dressed up with nothing to eat. No knocking
equals no candy. Even a child understands that.

Sometimes when we pray we ask God to bless us. Then, God blesses
us, but we don’t think that God listened to our prayers. Maybe God blessed us
with an unpleasant circumstance that will help to develop our character. That’s
not a bad thing in the end, but it might not be what we anticipated as the
answer to our prayer.

If you want God to do specific things, then you need to ask God
for specific things. Some Christians are afraid of teaching like this. “What if
people ask for things they shouldn’t have? What if they ask for things that
will shipwreck their faith?” The simple solution is this: God is a big boy. He
can take care of Himself.

God’s answers always come in three varieties: Yes, No and Wait. If
we ask for something in line with God’s will for us, the answer is usually Yes
or Wait. If we ask for something that might harm us, then God’s answer is No.
God has promised to meet all of our needs, but not all of our greeds.

If we don’t ask God for anything, He will fulfill that request as
well. “Where is God? Why isn’t He helping me?” What have you asked Him for?
Nothing. Mystery solved.

What do you need right now? What problem needs a solution? Where
do you need God’s provision? How could you use God’s wisdom? Ask God, and then
pay attention to what happens next. You will have the answer before you know
it.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Brothers and sisters,
if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that
person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each
other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone
thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one
should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone,
without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their
own load. Galatians 6:1-5

It’s far easier to replace something than to restore it. Several
months ago, I received a call about an accident at our house. In trying to
retrieve a toy, one of my children had knocked over the grandfather clock that
my father had built. Fortunately, no one was injured. But, the clock is toast.

Of course, my child is more important than a piece of furniture.
In fact, I drove home in the middle of the day just to give a hug and a
reassurance.

How could I be some calm about the loss of a family heirloom?
Because in my father’s house there are many grandfather clocks. In fact, there
is another one exactly like my broken clock that my father also built. It’s
easier to replace it than to repair it. The broken clock now sits in my garage.
My neighbors walk by and think that, yes, I’m just that rich.

But, if that clock was one of a kind or if my father was no longer
around to build clocks, the broken clock might have a different future. Not
only is a handmade clock a valuable piece of furniture, but it’s also a special
memory of my dad carefully handcrafting the clock in his basement shop. It
would be hard to part with. It would be repaired at any cost. No expense would
be spared.

We are surrounded by broken people. Each is unique. Not one can be
replaced. Yet, it seems easier to part with people than to restore them.

The Bible tells us that as believers, we have a responsibility to
each other – “carry one another’s burdens.” When someone in our small group has
a problem, it’s our job to help with their problem. Provide a listening ear.
Pray for them. Encourage them. When a person has sinned, it’s our job to
restore them gently and not cut them off at the needs.

Now, bearing someone’s burden does not mean taking over their
problem. We bear one another’s burdens, but each one should carry his own load.
As John Townsend and Henry Cloud teach in Boundaries, everyone is required to carry his own backpack.

Everyone should take responsibility for himself. When the burden
is heavy, then we should help. But, we shouldn’t be carrying what other people
need to carry for ourselves. When we find ourselves carrying an abundance of
backpacks so that others don’t have to carry anything, we’ve entered into a
co-dependent relationship.

The other caution is that in restoring another, we don’t become
overly sympathetic or even informed of their sinful ways. Otherwise, the
temptation that pulled on them might begin to pull on us as well. Broken human
beings are susceptible to the ugliness of sin.

Who needs your help? Whose burden is too heavy for them these
days? What kind of help can you give? What kind of help should you give? Where should you draw the line? Sometimes the best
help is to pray for them and then refer them to someone who has greater
expertise. If you don’t know when to refer, read this post.

Oh, and if you’re interested in a “slightly used” grandfather
clock, give me a call.